Shoulder pad structure



0d. 28, 1952 D A, DQNEGAN 2,615,172

SHQULDER PAD STRUCTURE Filed May 8, 1950 1 IO ALI IN VEN TOR.

. DORQTHY A. DONEGAN I BY W W? ATZ; EYS

Patented Oct. 28, 1952 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE SHOULDER PAD STRUCTURE Dorothy Ann Donegan, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Application May 8, 1950, Serial No. 160,777

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to shoulder pad structure and more particularly to a padded shoulder strap for use in conjunction with a brassiere.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a brassiere having padded shoulder straps adapted to increase the comfort while wearing, which however are not bulky and unsightly in use.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide padded shoulder straps for brassieres or the like comprising tubular fabric straps provided with resilient padding therein.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide shoulder straps of the character described comprising elongated strips of resilient padding material such as porous rubber, such for example as sponge or foam rubber, covered with fabric, the fabric extending beyond the ends of the padding for attachment to the garment.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the padded shoulder straps in use.

Figure 2 is a side elevation illustrating the shoulder straps attached to a brassiere.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a shoulder strap with parts broken away. i a

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4, Figure 3.

.Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5, Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings, the invention is illustrated as applied to a brassire indicated generally at Ill and comprises the shoulder straps l2. Asillustrated in Figure 2, the shoulder straps are secured to the rear of the brassiere as indicated at I4, and suitable adjustable securing means are provided, indicated at 16, for

securing the shoulder straps to the front of the brassiere.

Referring now to Figures 3, 4 and 5 the padded shoulder straps comprise elongated strips of resilient padding material [8, which may conveniently be in the form of porous rubber such for example as sponge rubber or foam rubber. These strips are covered with a suitable fabric 20' which may be satin or the like and which may be sewed so as to form the fabric into an essentially tubular envelope. The tubular fabric envelope extends beyond the ends of the padding material I8 as indicated at 22 and 24 for attachment to the b-rassiere. Conventional means may be employed for attaching the ends of the padded shoulder straps to the front and back of the brassiere. Thus in Figure 3, the rear end of the strap I2 is indicated at 26 as sewed to the rear of the brarriere in. At its front end the fabric envelope extends through an adjustable holding element 28 and thence through a loop 30 secured to the front of the brassire ID by a fabric strap 32 whence it returns and is passed over a cross. bar 34 of the adjustable fastening element 28.

The padding material I8 need not be at all bulky and excellent results are obtained when it has a thickness of somewhat less than ,5 inch and a width at its midportion of approximately one inch. Preferably, the padding material is slightly tapered from its mid-section toward either end.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved shoulder pad structure in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any persion skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A shoulder strap for supporting brassieres or the like comprising an elongated strip of porous rubber of substantially rectangular crosssection, said strip being slightly tapered from its central portion toward each end, a strip of fabric shaped to surround said rubber strip and extending beyond the ends of said rubber strip to provide portions of double thickness of fabric for attachment to fastening elements.

2. A shoulder strap as defined in claim 1 in which said rubber strip has a width at its central portion of about one inch and a thickness of somewhat less than of an inch.

DOROTHY ANN DONEGAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the V file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,055,077 Quirk Mar. 4, 1913 2,402,292 Nichols June 18, 1942 2,497,324 Schenkman Feb. 14:, 1950 

